billings



2 SheetsSheet 2.

(No Model.)

L. G. BILLINGS. OHIGKEN 1311001153.

Patented D5 18, 1894.

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a v U IT D STATES PATENT OFFICEQ LOUIS CI'BILLINGS,

OF MILFORD, NEW HAMPSHIREASSIGNOR TO THE L. o.

BILLINGS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CHICKEN-BROODERQ- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 531,255; dated December 18,1894.

Application filed May '7, 1894. Serial No. 510,354. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.- 7

Be it known that I,LoUIs O. B1LLINes,'a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Milford, in the county of Hillsborough and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain newand usefullmprovements in Chicken- Brooders and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved chicken-brooder as it appears when in use; one of the doors being shown open and the tray, or false bottom, being extended. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same, on the vertical plane indicated by the broken linemarked :ca: in Fig. 5. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through thebrooder, on the vertical plane denoted by the broken line marked w'0c' in Fig. 2. Fig. 4. is a longitudinal sectional view through the brooder on line 31 g in Fig. 5. -Fig .l 5 is a sectional view on the "horizontal plane indicated. by the broken line marked yf-y' in Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 is a detail View of the thermostat, and the'mechanism connected there with, for automatically regulating the heat in the brooding chambers.

Like letters of reference designate correpondin'g parts in all the figures.

My invention relates to apparatus for brooding artificially hatched chickens; that is to say: raising strong and healthy chicks after these have been hatched artificially in the incubator. Experience has abundantly demonstrated that it is easier to hatch healthy eggs in a properly constructed and well-managed incubator, or hatching apparatus, than to raise and develop the chicks after they have been hatched, when their frail and delicatecondition imperatively demands uniformity andevenness of heat, proper ventilation, and absolute cleanliness. In order to attain these necessary requirements, I have invented abrooder or apparatus designed especially for brooding the chicks after these have been artificially hatched, which is so constructed that the heat in the broodingchambers will be regulated automatically, re-

sulting in a perfectly even temperature at all times; and also provided with ventilating and cleaning devices by the aid of which equally important conditions of fresh and pure air, and absence of dirt and foulness are made attainable with a minimum of labor on the part of the attendant, and a maximum'of comfort and benefit to thebrood of young chicks which is being raised in the apparatus. 1 On the accompanying two sheets of drawings, the reference-letter A denotes the bottom of my improved brooder; B B, the sides or end pieces of the same; 0, the top, and D the stationary or upper part of the front side, the lower part of which consists of two or more slanting or outwardly-inclined doors D D, swinging on hinges d d and having glass panels to admit light into the brooding-chambers or compartments E E, of which there may be two or more; or, it'fdesired, a brooder may be constructed consisting of only a single compartment. r In practice, I prefer to make my improved brooder about three feet in length, two feet wide, and eighteen inches high; that being a very convenient and popular size; but it will be obvious that it may be made to order of any size or dimensions desired, without departing from the spirit of my invention; the size of the apparatus being simply a matter of convenience and expediency.

The vertical back F is provided with openings e 6 one for each compartment Ewhich may be closed by a flap F, swinging'on hinges ff, so as to form when open, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4:, an inclined plane or platformleading from the openings es, and facili tating egress from and ingress into the brooding compartments.

In the present illustration of my improved brooder,I have shown an apparatus compris ing two brooding-chambers or compartments, E, E; but there may be three or even a larger number, if desired, according to the capacity whichthe apparatus isto have. These compartments are separated by a vertical wire screen partition G, which does not, however, extend all the way up to the under side of the water-tank H, the bottom it of which forms the roof the brooding compartments E E, but

leaves a narrow open space 9 between the top of partition G and the bottom of tank Ii, so that the air heated by contact with the hot bottom of the water-tank may circulate freely and without obstructions through and between the compartments E E. The tank H (which is made, preferably, of galvanized sheet-iron) is supported firmly upon two (or more) parallel slats I 1, running longitudinally through the apparatus a suitable distance below the top or roof 0 of the same, and resting at opposite ends upon cleats which are fastened on the inside of the end-pieces B B. The water-tank H is a closedreceptacle or reservoir, resting upon the slats I I in the top of the apparatus above the hinged glass doors D D and rear openings e e, butsmaller than the apparatus, so as to leave an open air-space, a, all around the tank, on all sides thereof, and also an air-space a, between the top h of the tank and the roof 0 of the apparatus. The tank may be filled with water by means of a pipe J, which extends up through the roof 0, and this water is heated by means of an interior flue K, which enters tank Hat one end, and is, at its other end, deflected up wardly so as to form a chimney or outlet 70, for the products of combustion after these shall have given oil the greater part of their heat to the water in the tank.

That end of the heating flue K which passes out through one of the end pieces B is con nected to the chimney K of a lamp or heat: ing apparatus L, which may be of any approved construction, and restsupon an adjustable shelf or bracket M, attached to the outside of the end-pieceB. This heatingap paratus (unless adapted to be used with gas, in which case the oil reservoir is, of course, dispensed with) consists essentially of a burner Z, an oil reservoir m, and the chimney K, which, if made of metal, should have an opening at on one side, covered with a piece of transparent mica, through which the flame may be easily inspected.

The heat from the lamp or heating apparatus is regulated automatically by means of a damper N, suspended immediatelyabove the open top of chimney K, upon the outer end of a long rod or lever 0, having its fulcrum, at 19, upon a bearing P, fastened upon the roof 0 andiprovided at its other endwith anadjustable weight or counterpoise Q. Upon a cleat or bracket 1', fastened on the inside .of the back wall F, in the open air-space between said back F and the adjacent side of the water-tank H, is located a thermostah R, of any approved construction, the movable arm R of which is connected to the weighted end of lever O by a rod S, which passes up through an aperture in the roof, and maybe adjusted, as to length, so as to (in connection with the counterpoise Q) properly adjust the position of the damper or heat regulator N relative to the lamp-chimney K. The water from tank H may be emptied, when'desired, through a pipe T, which extends through one of the sides B and has a faucet t, at its outer end.

Each compartment E is provided with a false bottom, in the nature of a removable shallow tray U, surrounded by raised sides or flanges u and sliding in narrow slots between thestationary true bottom A and the lower ends of the inclined glass doors D D; each tray having a knob or handle 21, so that it may readily be taken out for cleaning, &c., and re inserted. The bottom of these trays, when the apparatus is in use, should be covered with a layer of clean sand, earth, bran, or a mixture of these ingredients; or some similar inexpensive, absorbent material.

On the inside of each of the sides or endpieces B B is located a ventilator, consisting of a vertical chute or duct W, open at both top and bottom, and terminating at its lower open end a short distance above the false bottom orsliding tray U while the upper end impingesagainst the under side of the roof 0, which iscut through so as to'form an opening or outlet, 0, forthe ventilator-chute. By this construction and -arrangement of the ventilators, at opposite ends of the broodingchambers, in conjunction with the screenpartitions G and openings gat the top of the latter, I provide fora continuousfiow of fresh air through the brooding-chambers; there being a constant downward flow of fresh air, heated to the proper temperature by means of the lhot water tank I-I, while the impure and vitiated air escapes upward from the brooding-chambers EE through the vertical air-ducts W W.

By constructing the hot water tank 11 with a top It overlapping the body of the tank on all sides, so as toform top flanges, the latter will act as deflectors for the heated air, deflecting it, (as it arises around the sides and under the bottom, h of the tank) down into the interior space of the brooding-chambers E E; the thermostat R gyrating automatically to keep this heated air at a constant predetermined temperature, which may be regulated at will by adjustment of the counterpoise Q on lever O, which as we have seen, regulates the heat-regulating damper N.

Having thus described my invention, I claimand desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- '1. In a brooding apparatus, the combination with the brooding chambers provided with removable bottom trays and separated from one another by transverse screen par titions leaving openspaces at the top, the watertauk located above said brooding chambers, thelamp,the pipe communicatingtherewith and passing through said tank, of the thermostat, the lever havingan adjustable weight at one end and provided with a down* wardly depending red at the other end, the damper connected with said rod, and the rod adjnstably connecting said lever with l the thermostat, substantially as described.

their lower ends near the bottom of the end I 5 chambers, to the sides of which they are affixed and impinging with their open upper ends against the apertured top or root of the apparatus, said apertures forming outlets for the ventilator ducts, substantially as de- 20 scribed and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affixed my signature I in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS C. BILLINGS.

Witnesses;

F. T. SAWYER, W. F. PINKHAM. 

